The Many Uses of Cupcakes
by MagPie003
Summary: Short one shots on the many ways Nathan and Duke use cupcakes when dealing with Audrey.  S2 and beyond.  Of course, I own nothing.
1. Housewarming

Her hands passed over the keys with a familiar ease. The melodies came unbidden as her fingers remembered what the rest of her couldn't. The songs that she did recognize came from artists that were now found on the "classics" stations: Carol King, the Carpenters, and Elton John. Lots of Elton John. While the ability to play was still disconcerting, the melodies put her at ease. Audrey began to sing softly as she lost herself in the smoothness of the keys and the vibrations under her feet.

"It may be quite simple, but, now that it's done: I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind-"

"Not really, but, that piano could use a tuning." A voice interrupted behind her. Audrey spun around with a surprised yelp. Leaning against her doorway with his hands behind his back was a highly amused Duke Crocker. He laughed as she sputtered and tried to look more angry than startled.

"Not funny!"

"Actually, yes it is," he disagreed, still chuckling. "Sorry I scared you. You didn't hear me knocking so I let myself in. I wanted to see how you were settling."

"I need to have a talk with my landlord about pest control." She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Very well," Duke replied with a shrug. Producing a white paper bag from behind his back he added, "I'm sure I can find a fellow pest to enjoy these with."

"Wait!" Audrey started as he turned to go back out the door.

"Oh, so now you want my company? I see how it is." Duke taunted with an evil grin.

"I never said that I didn't." She answered with as innocent a smile as she could muster. "Besides, I'm sure you've associated the word "pest" with me more than once when taking my phone calls."

"You? Never!" Duke scoffed in a tone she didn't quite believe. Before she could call him on it, he handed over the bag to her. Opening it, Audrey found one of her favorite things: Cupcakes with sprinkles from Rosemary's. It was funny that she didn't recall being such a fan of the sweet pastry before trying the local bakery's version.

"For your new cupcake hideout." He explained, a little pleased that she didn't notice that one hand was still behind his back.

"I officially take back every bad thing I've ever said or thought about you. This may even cover future events as well." Audrey replied, smiling gratefully.

"I'm holding you to that." He promised in mock seriousness as he looked over her living area. "Seems like your all moved in. That went fast."

"Wasn't that much to move." She reminded him. The few belongings Audrey had acquired while in Haven fit into a single box. The rest of the apartment was mostly furnished with what was left behind by the Gull's previous owners. There were also a few items Duke had scrounged up from "somewhere" and from Nathan's half hearted attempt to clean out the Chief's place. A part of her missed the furniture back in Boston that she'd thought was hers. However, the eclectic collection of things around her was as a welcome sign of support from her friends.

"Something's missing though." Duke mused.

"What did you have in mind?" She asked. In reply Duke nonchalantly produced a set of wind chimes from behind his back. He knew he'd made the right choice as Audrey's mouth formed into a delighted 'O' of surprise.

"You overheard us on the deck?"

"Yeah," he replied, "I figured with everything that happened after that you hadn't had time to get them yourself."

"No, I hadn't. Thank you!" While any memory of the "real" Audrey Parker was still painful, the wind chimes were a welcome gift. The sound would be familiar at night. It would help her to view the apartment as a home.

"Come on, let's hand them up." Duke suggested, walking out to the deck. Audrey put the cupcakes on her table with some reluctance before following him out.

"Did it come with a hook?"

"Yes, but, it looks like there are some here already." Duke replied. "They were probably meant for plants, but, they'll do."

"This one." Audrey decided as he hung the chimes in the same place that her "double" had selected earlier. It had been her first choice as well, but, she hadn't wanted to admit it then.

"Now, you're officially moved in" He declared. She nodded in agreement. Happy memories of the church's rented house came to her mind only to be marred by the inner reminder that they were never her memories to begin with. The woman they belonged to had lost them because of the deceptive mess that was Haven.

"Hey." Duke touched her shoulder lightly, bringing her back. She realized that some of her recent thoughts must have reflected on her face. His dark eyes were taking her in with a look of compassion and no small amount of concern. "How are you doing? Really?"

"I'm managing." Audrey replied, trying to keep her tone casual as she leaned against the wall and stared outward. Duke nodded and turned his gaze towards the ocean as well. Audrey would talk when and if she was ready. He wouldn't blame her if that time never came.

"Did Lucy play the piano?" She asked. Duke looked over to her in surprise. Apparently, Audrey was ready.

"I don't know." He answered after a moment of thought. "I don't remember anyone ever mentioning it back then, but, there's a lot I don't remember. Why do you ask?"

"Audrey Parker never took a piano lesson, but, I'm able to play the piano."

"Oh." At least that explained why the tunes he'd heard earlier were all older than she was.

"I have the memories of one woman in my head while the rest of me has the memories of someone else." She admitted, still looking out at the water as if the answers to her questions were going to come in on the next tide. "I don't know which parts are me; which memories are really mine."

"I think I can help with that." Duke said slowly, moving to stand in front of her.

"You, Audrey, are the woman I pulled out of the water during a freak hailstorm." He began with a little smile. "You're also the woman who almost shot me the next day for my troubles."

"You did take my clothes." Audrey reminded him.

" For lifesaving reasons only! And I laundered them!" He countered. "You're also someone I said needed to work on her "thank yous" , but, you've gotten a lot better. One thing you have been great at from the beginning is being someone who tries to help everyone she meets. You solve problems that no one else seems to be able to fix."

"Lucy did that too. Besides, Nathan also does a huge amount of the work."

"I know she did, but, I'm talking about now. Stop interrupting!" Duke scolded, tapping her nose with a playful smirk. "Now, speaking of Tin, er, Nathan: Ever since you came around, he's begun talking to people in full sentences. Rumor has it that he actually smiles more than once a season. Hell, he and I area actually civil when we run into each other. Which, thanks to you, is becoming a habit. What's more, it's not a habit we totally hate!"

"Miracles do happen." She quipped sarcastically. He took the sarcasm as a good sign but glared at her interruption on principle. When she didn't add anything else, he continued.

"My point is, Audrey 2 wasn't the one helping the troubled all this time. Lucy wasn't the one cracking Nathan out of his shell. They weren't experiencing their first real birthday party.-Next year, we'll have it at the Gull. Much safer that way.-They weren't helping Jeff trick me into owning a legitimate business, or, grabbing lunch with Julia. That was all you. Those memories are only yours."

"I guess you're right." She agreed as they went back inside. As expected, she made a bee line for the table.

"Of course I'm right!" Duke replied dismissively. "Oh, and another thing: You're the one with the addiction to Rosemary's cupcakes."

"That I am." Audrey laughed. She retrieved two from the box and handed one to him. He accepted it, noting that her eyes were more peaceful than before.

"You may not be the Audrey, but, you're _our_ Audrey." Duke finished. "I know it's not much, but, that's got to count for something. Right?"

"Right." Audrey said with a smile and dug into her cupcake. The wind picked up outside causing the chimes to echo in agreement.

_Author's note: This whole chapter came to my fevered brain thanks to the scene on Duke's boat with Audrey 2 where he refers to her as "Our Audrey". I thought it might mean a lot to Audrey to actually hear one of her friends call her that._


	2. Quiz

"All right, Parker, what did we learn so far?" Nathan asked.

"Do we have to go over all of that now?" Audrey groaned as she stretched out on the blanket. Her stomach was full, the sun was warm, and the sound of the nearby waves was working on her like a lullaby.

"You'll thank me later when people start treating you like a local." Nathan promised.

Audrey sighed and rolled onto her side to face him with her best "you're kidding me" look. After the Sea Dogs' easy victory that afternoon, Nathan surprised her by suggesting they throw together a picnic to celebrate. Happy for a way to enjoy the rare, warm afternoon off, she readily agreed. It wasn't until they'd arrived at the beach that she'd discovered the outing was part of Nathan's mission to saturate her with all aspects of New England small town life. Most of their conversation had been a vocabulary lesson. While she knew his heart was in the right place, she doubted that anyone would ever consider her a "local".

"There's a surprise in here for you if you get the questions right." Nathan goaded with a little smile, gesturing to the large paper bag that had held their lunch. It hadn't occurred to her until then that Nathan had kept the bag out of her reach since they'd sat down. Audrey's curiosity was piqued. Sneakiness wasn't a typical Wuornros trait. Neither was being talkative enough to launch into a lecture on New England quirks.

Duke was actually right. Nathan was breaking out of his shell.

"Okay, shoot." She said, finally cracking.

"A person from our area of the state is called a what?" He asked, smiling wider now that she'd taken the bait.

"Downeaster."

"Good!" Nathan praised. "And the meatballs you just ate were in a what?"

"Italian sandwich." Audrey replied. "Although I've also heard them called grinders."

"Both names work as far as I'm concerned." Nathan agreed. "Now, when people refer to a "bug" they are really talking about…"

"Downloading a computer virus-I'm just kidding!" She teased as his mouth opened to correct her. "They're using an unappetizing term for a lobster."

"Fits just fine to me." He said with a small grimace. It still amazed him that his state was best known for what he could only think of as a sea-roach.

"More for the rest of us." Audrey laughed. "Next question?"

"Okay, here's a good one: Why should you try to figure out the maps I left in your glove compartment over pulling over for directions?"

"Hmm." Audrey bit her lip in a way that he thought was far more adorable than it had any right to be.

"Come on," he coaxed, trying to shove thoughts of how pretty she was out of his mind. She was his partner for Pete's sake. "This happened the other day when you tried to meet me at the Gregory house."

"Because people will only give you land marks that used to be there!" Audrey realized after a moment.

"And that's why we learn how to read maps, even ones with old, narrow, twisty roads." Nathan agreed, chuckling at her sheepish smile. "Okay, last question: What is the station's preferred bakery?"

"Rosemary's!"

"Good job, Parker," Nathan said, producing a carton of cupcakes from the bag.

"When did you pick these up?" She asked with a pleased grin.

"When I sent you to get the drinks." He explained, suddenly feeling distracted. It was so easy to get lost in her smile. "I thought they'd be a suitable reward for paying attention."

"Feel free to quiz me more often." Suggested Audrey as she opened the carton. "Oh, good, you grabbed the ones with sprinkles."

"Actually, the long ones like that are called…mph!" Nathan's attempt to lecture her on New England confectionary terms was cut off as Audrey popped a piece of her cupcake into his mouth.

"Hush!" She laughed.

Nathan swallowed and tried to keep from grinning like a fool. What was he telling her just now? It had been permanently erased from his mind when her fingertips had touched his lips. The touch was completely innocent on her part; Nathan was certain of it. However, it was even more distracting than her smile. Again, Nathan tried to shove the thoughts into a little box in his mind. It was a box that contained the thousands of wonderful thoughts he had about her: How gifted, capable, funny, and beautiful she was. Someday, when the time was right, he'd open that box and give it to her as a gift.

"Something on your mind?" Audrey questioned as she reached for her second cupcake.

"I was thinking that next week's lesson could be on how to navigate using landmarks that are no longer there."


	3. Smile

Closing her eyes, Audrey tried to focus her mind on the rhythm of the waves breaking against the rocks. The slab like one she'd chosen for her perch was far enough away to keep her dry, but, not enough to keep the spray from flicking her face from time to time. It was a week since her last full day off. That's why she was sitting there at 9:00 AM instead of at her desk, or, in the passenger seat of Nathan's Bronco. Nathan. She wanted to be mad at him, but, she really couldn't. He'd been kind, but, firm about her having to work a regular schedule-with days off-like everyone else at the station. They were both maxed out on overtime for the month as it was. When he offered to switch their days off, she declined. Pride kept her from admitting that something as banal as the name of a weekday would unsettle her. Besides, it would just mean prolonging the inevitable until Thursday.

A day where there would be nothing to keep herself from thinking.

It wasn't until she felt more than heard a presence that Audrey looked to her side to see Duke approaching. His footsteps had been mostly muffled by the sand and the waves. She scooted over to give him room. As he sat down he placed a little white bag on the space between them. Audrey noted it, but, assumed it just contained the remains of his breakfast.

"Morning." He greeted with a soft smile.

"Hey."

"What brings you out here?"

"Wanted to clear my head. Too many thoughts rolling around at once. You?" Audrey replied, turning her gaze back out to the water as a splash added more foam to some of the rocks.

"Same thing, I guess. It's a good place for that."

She nodded slightly and they lapsed into silence. Duke took a few minutes to enjoy the view with her before reaching into the little bag. The rustling got her attention. When she looked over at him, he handed her a yellow cupcake with purple frosting and sprinkles. Her favorite.

"A little surprise for breakfast." Duke explained as she took the offered treat. "I was going to head over to your place in a bit to drop it off, but, you've saved me a trip."

"Thanks, but, aren't you the guy who told me that this was the most important meal of the day? How does a cupcake measure up to that?" Audrey teased before taking a bite.

"At least you're eating. I pick my battles, and, that's not the one for today." He answered with a shrug. Audrey smiled and shook her head.

"And the battle for today is?" She asked, licking a glob of frosting from her fingers.

"Already won." Duke answered as he fished into the bag for napkins.

"What was it?"

"Getting you smiling again." He said, handing her one of the napkins and gesturing to the side of her mouth. Duke was rewarded with another, wider smile and a giggle as she cleaned the frosting smudge off her face.

"Thanks." Audrey replied. They both knew she wasn't referring to the napkin.


	4. Breakup Remedy

_Further Disclaimers: I own nothing regarding the musical artist, genius director, or movies referenced below. _

Audrey was still chilled when she emerged from the shower. The cold that had crept in when Chris had left her on the bench hadn't been erased the by the hot water she'd stood under for the last thirty minutes. Quickly, she changed into an baggy set of sweats and pulled on a pair of slipper socks. Deep down, Audrey knew that the chill didn't come from the temperature outside. It was actually pretty mild out. She also knew that it wasn't the start of a sickness. The chill that had begun in the pit of her stomach and had spread outward came from exhaustion, loneliness, and heartache.

Flopping onto the couch, she went over her last conversation with Chris. It had been inevitable. Audrey had known all the long that it was only a matter of time before his desire for her turned into a need that she couldn't fill. Like she'd said to him earlier, she couldn't be what made him who he was. Still, it had felt so nice to be desired as a woman for a little while. That feeling was probably why she'd temporarily overlooked his arrogance and general disdain for everyone but her. What he didn't know was that callous disdain had severed the tentative connection in her heart before he'd even admitted his need.

Her stomach growled, reminding her that all she'd eaten that day was a pastry at the station early that morning. While she knew that she should eat something, she just couldn't bring herself to move. Even though it was barely dinner time, the temptation to go to bed right then and there was strong. Her eyelids were already starting to droop. Before she could give in, someone knocked on her door. She didn't have the heart to pretend she wasn't home. It could be Nathan with a case, or, Duke actually taking her up on the offer to come to her if he needed anything. Pushing off the couch with a yawn, she answered the knock to find Nathan standing on her threshold holding a large takeout bag.

"Hi." Audrey greeted.

"Hey, Parker." He returned as she let him in. "I thought you could use a little cheering up."

"You've heard then?" She asked in a resigned tone. News always traveled too fast in small towns.

"Didn't need to. I saw the look on your face when you said you had to go meet him." Nathan explained as he set the bag on her table.

"I never realized I was that readable."

"You're not. You just happen to work with the only other detective around here." He assured her, smiling gently. "How are you handling it?"

"I think I'm too tired for it to really sink in just yet." She admitted as her stomach growled again.

"And hungry." Nathan noted. "Speaking of which, I think I have just the right combo for this situation."

"Jack, coke, and Patsy Cline?" Audrey teased.

"Something a little more up your alley. Chinese, cupcakes, and a cheesy vampire movie." He corrected, taking out the contents of his bag and laying them on her table.

"That is more up my alley." Audrey confirmed with a small smile. Picking up the DVD, she read the title aloud, "Dead and Loving It?"

"I think we could both use a comedy after the last two days." Nathan explained. "That, and I'm not about to watch some skinny, pale kid sparkle in the sun."

"Fair enough." She agreed as she reached for the cupcakes. To her surprise, they were snatched away before she could touch them.

"Real food first. These are for during the movie." He chided with the same gentle smile as before.

"Fine," Audrey conceded, walking towards the cabinet that held her plates. "Beer's in the 'fridge."

Nathan observed her out of the corner of his eye as he carried two bottles back to her table. While she didn't look like she'd been crying, it was easy to see she was hurting. As she took the chair across from his, she curled her hands into her sleeves as if she was trying to get warm. That unconscious act, and the sadness in her eyes, made her appear so vulnerable. It was all he could to not wrap his arms around her and promise that everything would be all right. As tempting as the idea was, Nathan knew that it would be a mistake. Audrey Parker was the strongest person he knew. The way she had kept it together during the lock down was truly amazing. She wouldn't take well to being comforted like a child. Nor would she take well to being lied to: Things weren't going to be all right in Haven; not for a very long time.

That didn't mean that he wouldn't try his best to make it all right for her tonight.

"We don't have to talk about any of it." He promised. "But, I'm here to listen if you want."

"Thanks." She replied, grateful that he was letting her set the pace. Most people would try to get her to share her feelings. Most _men_ would've shown up at her door to offer a rather different and unwelcome form of comfort. Then again, Nathan wasn't most people and he definitely wasn't like most men she'd known. It was something Audrey had grown to appreciate.

They ate in relative quiet. A few attempts at small talk were made as they both dodged the elephants in the room left behind by yesterday's events. Nathan expected her to make a dive for the cupcakes as soon as her plate was cleared of orange chicken and egg rolls. Instead, she took a final pull on her beer before charging one of the smaller elephants in the room.

"He needed me."

"What?"

"He said he needed me." Audrey explained, fiddling with the wrapper on her bottle. "At least that's what he said. But, he didn't mean _me_."

"What do you mean?" He asked, confused.

"Chris didn't need _me_, or, even want me. He might have at first, but, what he really needed was that I wasn't affected by his trouble."

"I'm sorry." Nathan said. It was only half a lie. He wasn't sorry at all that Brody was out of the picture. When he wasn't under his spell, Nathan was able to see him for the arrogant jerk that he was. At the same time, he couldn't stand seeing Audrey hurt.

"I'm just sorry that I didn't see earlier that he cared more about my resistance to his trouble than he did about me. Without it, I doubt he would've given me a second glance." Audrey replied with a shrug. "It was all about how I made _him_ feel."

Nathan nodded and pushed around the remaining grains of rice on his plate. There were several things he wanted to tell her: One of them was that Chris was a fool for not realizing that Audrey not being affected by the troubles was only a sliver of what made her so wonderful. Another was that she deserved so much more from a man than a spoiled, self-centered idiot like that could offer. Finally, that Nathan would never use her like that. Even if he woke up tomorrow without the ability to feel her touch, he'd still love her just as much. However, none of those thoughts were finding their way to his mouth. The first two sounded too much like clichés and it wasn't the right time for the third. It frustrated him. Words never came easily to Nathan; especially when it came to those he cared about. Actions, however did.

"Come on, let's put in the movie." He suggested as he pushed over the cupcakes he'd been guarding throughout the meal. Audrey offered him a relieved smile before taking the cupcakes to the couch. She flopped onto the middle of the couch and selected the cupcake with the most sprinkles before setting the rest on the coffee table.

"You know, I'm surprised you even own this movie. It doesn't seem to be your normal type." She observed.

"It was on a sale rack a few weeks back. I thought it would be good for the next time we needed a laugh." Nathan explained as he slid the DVD into the player. "Besides, it's from the same comedic genius that gave us the power of the Schwartz."

"Heh, good point." Audrey agreed as he took a seat next to her. Almost absentmindedly, she leaned up to kiss his cheek before diving in to her dessert.

"What was that for?" He asked, surprised, but, not at all displeased.

"For all of this: Dinner, cupcakes, and picking up a movie you knew I'd like." She explained as she finished off her first cupcake of the evening. "And for not spouting platitudes about how Chris doesn't deserve me and there's so much more to me than my immunity. That's so not what I need right now."

"Even though it's true?" Nathan asked with a wry smile. Audrey rolled her eyes and jabbed his side with her elbow, causing him to chuckle. "What _do _you need right now?"

"All of this…and, maybe this." She replied, laying her head on his shoulder. "If that's okay, I mean."

His reply was to wrap his arm around her shoulders and pull her close. He would've done it just to make her feel better regardless of the sensation. However, the way he came alive as she settled against him was pure magic.

"Nathan, you always know what to say." She teased. He just dropped a kiss onto the top of her head and pressed "play".


	5. Payback

_Author's Note: This chapter ties in with the final chapter of another series of one shots I wrote earlier called "The Importance of Pancakes"._

"I'm not so sure about this."

"Nate, we're just going to have a little fun with her."

"I know, but-"

"Do I need to remind you that she threatened to have Dwight "fix" us? I'm getting chills just thinking about it."

"She normally keeps them over here…"

XXX

"Thanks for the lift, I appreciate it." Audrey said as Dwight's truck pulled into the Grey Gull's parking lot. "It was nice of you to offer to wait as I finished PT."

"Not a problem," he assured her. "I figured your regular ride was going to be otherwise occupied."

"Right." Audrey grimaced as she unbuckled her seat belt. The situation she had been trying not to think of all day was looming in front of her.

"Nathan's truck is still here." Dwight noted, gesturing to the nearby Bronco. "That's probably a good sign."

"It could be." Audrey agreed, brightening slightly.

"Go on." Dwight urged, patting her shoulder. "Call me if you need any help."

"Thanks." She said, giving him a small smile as she stepped out of the truck.

Squaring her shoulders, Audrey made for the steps to her apartment. The sight of Nathan's truck in the lot was a good sign. At least he wasn't so incensed with her that he'd taken off back to his place. That didn't mean that she wasn't in for a long "discussion" about figuratively knocking his and Duke's heads together earlier. Or, that she'd have to face a similar unpleasant conversation with Duke once he got a hold of her.

Maybe telling them that they could be as angry as they wanted wasn't the smartest idea she'd ever had.

"I'm home." She called out as she stepped inside the apartment. No one answered her. "Nathan?"

The place was empty. Only the sound of wind chimes greeted her as she made her way to the table. It had been cleaned off and the dishes had been washed and set in the drying rack. Another good sign. People don't normally do your dishes when they're mad at you. A note was taped onto one of the place-mats on the table.

_Audrey,_

_As you can see from the lack of blood stains and body parts, Duke and I have patched things up. We've decided that a good place to restart would be with another fishing trip. I'll be back later tonight. We can grab some dinner and talk then._

_Love,_

_Nathan._

Audrey let out a sigh of relief. Taking the direct approach had actually worked. However, it did seem odd that they'd start a fishing trip this late. She thought that fishing was an early morning activity. It was more likely that "fishing trip" was a euphemism for "drink lots of beer". No matter. There were worse ways that the guys could reconnect. The only downside was that she was spending the afternoon alone. The little box on her counter that held her mail gave her a few ideas. Inside one of the envelopes was a romantic comedy she'd been looking forward to viewing. Her kitchen cupboard also provided the perfect snack for movie time. It was good thing she'd stopped by Rosemary's on the way home from work yesterday. Unfortunately, when she opened it, the cupcake shelf was bare. Another note was in the regular resting place of her favorite treat.

_Since you were so adamant about us resolving our differences, we didn't think you'd mind providing the snacks for our little excursion._

_-Duke_

"You're kidding me!" Audrey lamented aloud to the empty a cupboard. She shook herself, a little embarrassed that she was complaining to an inanimate object. It didn't make sense at all. Nathan and Duke tolerated her love of cupcakes, but, didn't really share it. If anything, they both considered the frosting to be too sugary sweet. She sighed and closed the cupboard. Of all the times to have finally won them over on Rosemary's cupcakes being the tastiest thing in the universe, it had to be when they couldn't enjoy them together.

Her disappointment didn't last long. The freezer held another tantalizing treat. Nothing complimented a chick flick quite like a pint of ice cream. However, _another_ note was waiting for her where the pint of mocha chocolate chip ice cream lived.

_I love you, but, we really need to do something about your sweet tooth. All this sugar isn't healthy._

_-Nathan_

"Seriously!"

A snickering sound coming from her bedroom caught her attention. Audrey froze. No, they couldn't have. Could they? Another muffled sound and a "shh!" had her striding towards the changing screen next to her bed. Pulling aside the screen she was greeted by the two men she'd left in her apartment earlier. Instead of glaring daggers across the table, they were practically falling down laughing at her.

"You two-that-oooh!" She sputtered, trying to decide whether to kill them on the spot or join in the laughter. Before she could choose, Nathan handed over the ice cream pint.

"Gotcha!" He chortled. The unusual sight of Nathan laughing uncontrollably won her over. She couldn't help giggling as well.

"I take it this is payback for this morning?" Audrey asked, walking back to the kitchen.

"Pretty much," Nathan agreed as they followed her. 'That and it was a fun way to show you we were able to work together."

"Consider me convinced." She said, replacing the ice cream in the freezer. When she turned to Duke to receive the cupcakes, he shook his head and grinned wickedly.

"Oh I don't think so!" He scolded in a tone that didn't reach his eyes. "_He_ thinks the prank was punishment enough. _I'm_ not that convinced. You threatened to sic Sasquatch on us!"

"It was just a bluff! Besides, it was fully warranted." Audrey protested.

"Yeah, I guess it was." Duke agreed, grudgingly as he handed over the coveted treats. "Thanks…I think."

"I'll be happy to threaten your existence whenever necessary." She replied sweetly, placing them back into the cupboard. "Oh, and necessary covers raiding my snack shelf without permission."

"I'll keep that in mind." He laughed. "In the meantime, I'll let you two get to whatever plans you had for this afternoon."

With a genuinely grateful smile to Audrey and a friendly nod to Nathan, Duke headed out to the rest of his day. After he was gone, Audrey turned to give Nathan her full attention. His face had gone from smirking to thoughtful. She looked down at her shoes, suddenly shy. While she was so glad he wasn't angry, there was still much to talk about. It was hard to think of a good starting point. Thankfully, Nathan had already thought of one. With one quick stride, he closed the gap between them. Strong arms enveloped her against his chest. Audrey sighed happily and tucked her head under his chin.

"Were you worried?" He asked after a minute.

"A little. Okay, maybe a lot." She admitted, sheepishly. "I did make you eat breakfast with your worst enemy after all."

"Yeah, you did." Nathan chuckled, hugging her tighter. "Thank you."

"Then, I'm not in trouble?" She asked, shifting slightly to look up at him. A playful smile greeted her.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that." He teased as he leaned down to kiss her. "But I think I'll let you make it up to me."

She did.


	6. Ring Box

Audrey rubbed at her neck as she turned off the ignition and got out of the car. It had been a long day. Nathan was up in Bangor for a conference that wouldn't be finished until much later that evening. He'd have to spend the night before driving home. That meant she wouldn't' see him until sometime in the early afternoon. She'd spend another _fun_ morning being the only one to take the "unique" calls made to the station and from Laverne on the radio. Seriously, did the woman have to sound so damn cheerful when describing that Mrs. Lindstrom's rosebush was singing opera…again?

An unusual sight greeted her as she opened the door to her apartment. A chocolate cupcake with pink frosting and sprinkles was resting on a large dinner plate just inside her door. A little sticky note was attached to the paper around the cupcake. There was no doubt that it was Nathan's neat print on the paper.

_The first time you called me "tough guy", I couldn't help smiling even though I knew you were being sarcastic. It still makes me smile every time you say it.…Go to the table. __Do not __stop to eat the messenger._

"Nathan?" She called out excitedly. He was home early! Had the conference been cancelled? Silence was the only reply. Curious and confused, she went to the table. In the center was a yellow cupcake with blue frosting and sprinkles with another sticky note.

_Have I told you how much I love your tolerance of my pancake obsession? Very few people can put up with it as well as you do.…Put this one next to the pink cupcake and go to the couch. No, you can't eat them yet._

Audrey fought the temptation to steal a finger's worth of frosting as she made her way to the couch. There, a chocolate cupcake with white frosting and rainbow sprinkles was waiting on the coffee table. It was resting on top of her newest DVD. Like the others, there was a note attached.

_It is strangely adorable that someone so full of life is obsessed with flicks about the undead. No, I'm still not watching the sparkly boys with you!…Put this one on the plate and go straight to the bedroom. _

"Nathan, I know you're in here somewhere. It's not nice to hide on me like this!" She complained to the silence around her. As she made her way to the bed, she kept stealing glances to see where he could be hiding. It really did appear that she was alone. On the bed stand was another yellow cupcake with the expected note. This one had chocolate frosting and sprinkles.

_You're beautiful in anything; even that ridiculous fishing hat I got you when you first arrived. However, the first time I saw you in a dress, I had a hard time remembering I was on a case and not on a date with the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen…Add this one to the plate and go to the deck. No eating in bed!_

Stopping at her closet, she pulled out the dark blue dress she'd worn to the disastrous restaurant opening. While he'd never gone so far as to request that she wear a particular outfit, she knew this was one of his favorites. Before heading over to the deck, Audrey slipped out of her slacks and button down and put on the dress. In the doorway to the deck lay a chocolate cupcake with green frosting and sprinkles. The note attached was a little longer than the others.

_After Audrey Two was taken home, you toyed with the idea of changing your name. Our case load kept you from thinking about it too much. Or, at least that was what you told me. Sometimes, when you stare off when we're driving, or, get really quiet when we're in a crowd, I know that you're thinking about it again. I've thought about it too. I have a solution for at least the last name. Go to the railing and you'll see what it is. _

Audrey left the plate in the doorway and made a beeline for the railing. The note attached to the yellow cupcake with purple frosting and sprinkles contained only two words.

_Take mine._

Her hands shook as she picked up the cupcake. Stuck into the frosting was a diamond solitaire. Had she fallen asleep at her desk again, or, had Nathan just asked her to marry him using cupcakes and sticky notes? The wind chimes behind her sounded even though there was no breeze. Turning, she saw Nathan leaning up against the wall right next to them. He'd been hiding there the whole time. She'd been enjoying following the trail too much to even think of looking for him on the deck. With a shy smile, he jangled the chimes one more time before approaching her. His face was full of nervous expectancy. Carefully, he took the cupcake, extracted the ring from the frosting, and wiped it with a napkin before setting the cupcake back on the railing.

"Will you-will you marry me?"

"Yes!" Audrey cried, jumping into his arms.

The force of their bodies colliding made him to stagger briefly, causing them both to laugh. After more laughter, and more than a few kisses, they broke away long enough for him to place the ring on her finger. Then, Nathan pulled her back into his arms with a hug so strong it lifted her off the ground.

"There wasn't a conference, was there?" She asked suspiciously when he finally set her down.

"No." Nathan admitted, blushing slightly. "I took the day to drive over to the jeweler in Portland to pick up the ring and think about how to ask you. Once I came up with the idea, I had Vince pick me up at home and drop me off here so you wouldn't see the Bronco in the lot. Believe me, that was an awkward conversation."

"Vince?" She groaned into his shoulder. "You do realize this will be all over the Herald tomorrow!"

"Better to get it over with sooner than later." He chuckled. When Audrey opened her mouth to protest he quickly occupied it with a long, deep kiss. By the time they came up for air, she'd forgotten what she'd been complaining about. "So, was it all a good idea?"

"It was a perfect idea." Audrey replied. "Just one thing: Why couldn't I eat any of the cupcakes?"

"I should have asked you a long time ago. I didn't want to wait any longer now once I'd finally found the nerve." Nathan explained, blushing again. "You can eat them now if you want."

Audrey laughed and shook her head. Reaching up to cup his face, she pulled him down for another kiss. Neither of them even thought about the plate in the doorway for a long time.


End file.
